Efficiency of medical leech on experimentally induced incisional wound healing in rats
Research article published in Journal of complementary & integrative medicine (2025)
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: This study was conducted in response to the increasing interest in understanding the effects of both modern and traditional complementary medicine on incisional wound healing. Herein, it was aimed to investigate the wound healing effects of medicinal leech therapy and leech saliva in an experimentally created incisional skin wound model. METHODS: Fifteen rats underwent full-thickness incisions on their dorsal regions and were randomly assigned to five equal groups, as the Leech Saliva (LS) group, where wounds were treated topically with leech saliva once daily; Leech Therapy-1 (LT-1) group, where leech therapy was administered once at the beginning of the experiment; Leech Therapy-2 (LT-2) group, where leech therapy was applied twice, on days 0 and 3; Positive Control (PC) group, where wounds were treated daily with Phyto cream containing Triticum vulgare; and Negative Control (NC) group, where no treatment was given. RESULTS: Wound healing was assessed daily, and the experiment continued until complete healing was observed. At the conclusion, the wound size, appearance, and histological features were analyzed to compare healing progress across the groups. CONCLUSIONS: Medicinal leech therapy was observed to have a positive wound healing effect in the rat model.
Abstract sourced from PubMed (NCBI) for the cited record. See the original publication for the authoritative version.
Резюме
This study was conducted in response to the increasing interest in understanding the effects of both modern and traditional complementary medicine on incisional wound healing.
Почему это важно для гирудотерапии
This experimental study investigated the wound-healing effects of medicinal leech therapy and leech saliva in a rat incisional wound model. Fifteen rats with full-thickness dorsal incisions were assigned to five groups: leech saliva (topical, once daily), leech therapy once, leech therapy twice (days 0 and 3), positive control (Triticum vulgare cream), and negative control (no treatment). The study concluded that medicinal leech therapy had a positive wound-healing effect in the rat model. This is directly relevant to ASH's domain of hirudotherapy, as it examines live leech application and leech saliva for a therapeutic wound-healing outcome. The key caveat is that this is a small animal study (fifteen rats total, three per group) with no human data, and the abstract provides no quantitative efficacy metrics, limiting generalizability to clinical practice.
Цитирование
Efficiency of medical leech on experimentally induced incisional wound healing in rats
Bilden A et al. · Journal of complementary & integrative medicine, 2025
Связанный клинический контекст
Узнайте, как это исследование связано с клинической практикой
Добавлено в библиотеку ASH: May 27, 2026 · Последнее обновление сайта: June 18, 2026